After playing Ratchet and Clank on the PS3 it really got me nostalgic for the PS2 era. The era in which Ratchet and Clank (among others) were industry leading games. I feel like it was the last generation where games weren't hellbent on realism and story.

So I'm curious what everyone thinks are the ten best PS2 exclusives? I feel like my list 10 years ago would look drastically different from my list today!

I’m going to limit myself to one per series or else most of the list would be ratchet and clank, sly cooper and god of war. I’m sticking with games that were exclusive in the generation, so no GTA even though it was initially exclusive. Not in order:

Confession: I've never played a Ratchet & Clank game. I ignored the series for years, because I'm not usually into platformers. I realized the errors of my ways though - so a few months back, I bought Up Your Arsenal for PS2. The general consensus was that it's the best game in the series, so I went with that one. It's been sitting around in my backlog since then, but you guys got me thinking that I need to try it out ASAP.

While I'm at it, I've never played the other big PS2 platformer series either, like Jak & Daxter and Sly Cooper. Do most people think Ratchet is superior?

As for my Top 10, I'll have to scan through my PS2 shelf for ideas. I like the lists so far though.

Retro STrife wrote:While I'm at it, I've never played the other big PS2 platformer series either, like Jak & Daxter and Sly Cooper. Do most people think Ratchet is superior?

Not necessarily; I think it depends on the person or even your mood. All three series are very different.

If you don’t like platformers though, then you probably wouldn’t be interested in the Sly Cooper series. The first one is sort of a Crash bandicoot style linear level platform we and the second two are open world, mission-based platformers. There is some stealth and variety thrown into them, but generally they are the most pure platformers among the three series. I personally love them, but don’t see you getting much out of them given the genre.

Similarly you probably want to avoid Jak and Daxter 1. It is a collectathon platformer like Mario 64. It is very well done, but not great for the platformer-averse. I would recommend Jak 3 to you because it is more action-oriented and also probably the best in the series. Jak 2 is also more action-oriented but it’s the weakest in the series.

And if you like Ratchet Up Your Arsenal then Going Commando is also great and plays very much the same. I’d again recommend avoiding the first one to you because it is both the weakest in the series and also more leaning toward the platformer side (you don’t have a strafe in this one so shooting is much less prominent).

Retro STrife wrote:While I'm at it, I've never played the other big PS2 platformer series either, like Jak & Daxter and Sly Cooper. Do most people think Ratchet is superior?

I haven't played any of the Sly Cooper series, but Jak and Daxter is a good game and wasn't that far from making my list. The sequels are definitely weaker - especially the dreary Jak 3, which is set almost entirely in a dusty wasteland and is loaded with clunky vehicular combat - but I'd still say that they're worth playing.

Compared to Ratchet's hilarious adventures, the Jak games' biggest drawback is their writing. The first one goes for comedy but is mostly just juvenile (think '90s Rare), and the sequels try to be dark and edgy (in an extremely T-rated way) while keeping the mascot Daxter's obnoxious comic relief intact, which is awkward at best and flat-out bad at worst, particularly in Jak 3, which is otherwise as self-important as any JRPG. Yes, this is entirely peripheral to actually playing the games, but there's a lot to be said for the investment that a game's overall character inspires, and Insomniac's series does a better job of that by far. The other big issue with the Jak games is the collectibles, which are total busywork (more '90s Rare) compared to those in Ratchet & Clank and its sequels, which feel like actual secrets to discover.

Retro STrife wrote:While I'm at it, I've never played the other big PS2 platformer series either, like Jak & Daxter and Sly Cooper. Do most people think Ratchet is superior?

I haven't played any of the Sly Cooper series, but Jak and Daxter is a good game and wasn't that far from making my list. The sequels are definitely weaker - especially the dreary Jak 3, which is set almost entirely in a dusty wasteland and is loaded with clunky vehicular combat - but I'd still say that they're worth playing.

Compared to Ratchet's hilarious adventures, the Jak games' biggest drawback is their writing. The first one goes for comedy but is mostly just juvenile (think '90s Rare), and the sequels try to be dark and edgy (in an extremely T-rated way) while keeping the mascot Daxter's obnoxious comic relief intact, which is awkward at best and flat-out bad at worst, particularly in Jak 3, which is otherwise as self-important as any JRPG. Yes, this is entirely peripheral to actually playing the games, but there's a lot to be said for the investment that a game's overall character inspires, and Insomniac's series does a better job of that by far. The other big issue with the Jak games is the collectibles, which are total busywork (more '90s Rare) compared to those in Ratchet & Clank and its sequels, which feel like actual secrets to discover.